668: Why Business Jargon Isn’t All Bad

668: Why Business Jargon Isn’t All Bad

HBR IdeaCast

12/02/2019 5:49PM

Episode Synopsis "668: Why Business Jargon Isn’t All Bad"

Anne Curzan, English professor at the University of Michigan, studies the evolution of language. While many of us roll our eyes at bizspeak — from synergy to value-add to operationalize — Curzan defends business jargon. She says the words we say around the office speak volumes about our organizations and our working relationships. She shares how to use jargon more deliberately, explains the origin of some annoying or amusing buzzwords, and discusses how English became the global business language and how that could change.

Listen "668: Why Business Jargon Isn’t All Bad"

More episodes of the podcast HBR IdeaCast